The present invention generally relates to an automobile radiator assembly and more particularly to a resilient support for resiliently supporting the automobile radiator assembly in an inclined fashion.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,579,184, patented Apr. 1, 1986, and owned by the same assignee of the present invention, discloses a resilient support for the automobile radiator assembly which comprises two spaced apart lower elastic collars mounted on a lower transverse brace forming a part of an automobile front body structure for the support of the radiator assembly from below; two spaced apart upper elastic collars mounted on an upper transverse brace, forming another part of the automobile front body structure, through respective, generally rectangular plate members for the support of the radiator assembly from above; upper bosses rigidly mounted on top of the radiator assembly and engaged in respective hollows in the upper elastic collars; and lower bosses rigidly secured to the bottom of the radiator assembly and engaged in respective hollows in the lower elastic collars.
Each of the upper collars used in this prior art radiator support system is constituted by a generally tubular body having at one end integrally formed with an outwardly flared hold-down flange which spreads generally radially outwardly when the associated upper boss fast with the radiator assembly is engaged into the hollow of the upper collar. Each upper collar has also formed integrally therewith a pliable mounting flange radially outwardly extending from a generally intermediate portion of the tubular body, said mounting flange having a circumferentially extending and radially inwardly slit groove which, when the respective upper elastic collar is mounted on the associated rectangular plate member having been inserted through a mounting aperture defined in such plate member, receives therein the peripheral lip region of the plate member around the mounting aperture.
In order for the resilient support system to constitute a dynamic damper for suppressing low frequency vibrations induced in the automobile during the operation of a power plant and transmitted to the radiator assembly with the radiator assembly acting as an inertia mass, each of the upper elastic collars is so selected as to have a rigidity smaller than that of any one of the lower elastic collars while permitting the up and down motion of the radiator assembly within the allowance of a certain distance. Formation of a plurality of slots or one or more recesses in the mounting flange of each upper elastic collar is also disclosed as a means for further reducing the rigidity of the respective upper elastic collar as a whole relative to that of any one of the lower elastic collars.
The radiator assembly disclosed in the above mentioned U.S. patent is shown to be supported in an upright position, that is, so as to face generally perpendicular to the direction of forward movement of the automobile.
On the other hand, it is a recent trend to support the radiator assembly in an inclined fashion to promote compactness and simplicity of bodywork at the front body structure and also to promote the marketing appeal of a configuration akin to that of a racing or sports car, such as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 60-110527, published June 17, 1985, the invention of which is directed to what may be termed as a combined front fender and bumper. So far as the radiator assembly is concerned, this last-mentioned reference merely illustrates the radiator assembly supported in an inclined fashion with its top set backwardly relative to the bottom thereof with respect to the direction of forward movement of the automobile, and makes no more mention of the support system for the radiator assembly.
However, it has been found that, when the radiator assembly is resiliently supported in the inclined fashion with the use of the resilient support system disclosed in the first-mentioned reference, the following problem occurs. Since each of the upper elastic collars used in the first-mentioned reference has, in its entirety, a rigidity smaller than that of any one of the lower elastic collars, it will be excessively compressed at a local portion thereof where a static load of the leaned radiator assembly is centered, the excessively compressed state of that local portion being maintained at all times with the consequence that the elastic hardening thereof is accelerated. Once this happens, the upper elastic collars become susceptible to damage. Moreover, a gap is formed between the outer peripheral surface of each of the upper bosses fast with the radiator assembly and the inner peripheral surface of the respective upper elastic collar, wherefor vibratory motion of the radiator assembly during the operation of the automobile power plant is promoted, thereby facilitating reduction in durability of the upper elastic collars under the influence of impact loads induced by vibrations of the automobile.
Although the radiator assembly is supported in upright position as is the case with the disclosure made in the previously mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,579,184, the U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,697, patented Sept. 3, 1985, discloses the radiator assembly having a pair of generally plate-like tabs secured to the top of the radiator assembly so as to protrude upwardly, which tabs are in turn secured to the upper transverse brace, with the intervention of solid elastic members between the tabs and the upper transverse brace, by means of respective bolts extending generally horizontally and passing through the solid elastic member. This U.S. patent also discloses the use of a generally tubular elastic member interposed between the respective tab and the upper transverse tab with the longitudinal axis of the tubular elastic member laid at right angles to the bolt. The resilient support system for the radiator assembly disclosed in this reference is described as constituting a dynamic damper for absorbing vibrations induced in the automotive power plant.